Brake mechanism



July 5, 1938. A. a'BRucE: 2,122,678

BRAKE MECHANISM Filed April 24, 1937 1N V EN TOR.

Ewa/w www JVL'I ATTORNEY Patented Julygs, 193s 2,122,678

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRAKE MECHAMSM Alvin B. Bruce, Kansas City, Mo. Application April 24, 1937, serial No. 138,756 3 claims. (Cl. 18s- 204) My inventionrelates to improvements in brake front end cf the hole 2 and slot 4 to the front 'mechanism 1 end of the support I is a hole I3, in which is .One of the objects of ymy invention is ,to profitted a forwardly and rearwardly slidable stem vide a novel `brake mechanism of the kind deportion oi a member Il, the rear end of which, scribe-d which will apply the brakes with equal in the slot 4, is provided with a head i8 which pressure to al1 of the wheels, bears against the front edge of a master wedge A further object of my invention is the pro- I9, of flat form, and forwardly and rearwardly vision of anovel brake mechanism, which is simslidable, as well as laterally, in the slot 4. ple, cheap, strong, durable, not likely Vto get out The rear bevelled end portion of the triangular of order, which can be quickly and easily applied wedge I9 is disposed between and is movable laty1() to car brakes of the type now in use, and which erally, in the slot 4, with two anti-friction balls is efficient in its operation. 2|) respectively mounted in the inner ends of two The novel features of my invention are hereinalined transverse members ZI and 22 respectively after fully described and claimed. longitudinally slidable in the holes G and l. The In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates outer ends of the members 2l and 22 are respec- .'15 the preferred embodiment of my invention, tively provided with heads 23 and 2li respectively Fig. 1 is a top view, partly in horizontal secmounted in the slots I2 and I3 and respectively tion, of my improved brake mechanism. bearing against the inner ends of two auxiliary Fig. 2 is an end View of the same, looking from wedges 25 and 2G respectively inwardly and out- V the front. wardly slidable, as well as laterally, in the slots 20 Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. I2 and I3. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the cylin- The outer end of the wedge 25 s between and drical wedge supports. engages two balls 2l respectively mounted in the Fig. 5 is a perspective View of one of the wedge inner ends of two alined members 28 and 29 operating members. l respectively slidable in two holes 33 and 3 I, which .25

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of one ofthe wedges, extend respectively frOm the lODt and real' ends enlarged. of the support l to the hole 6 and slot I2.

Similar characters of reference designate simi- The outer end of the wedge 23 is between and Vlar parts in the different views. engages two balls 32 respectively mounted in the I designates a sup-port for the operative parts, inner ends of two alined members 33 and 34 re- 30 which is, preferably of cast metal, such as.. brass spectively slidable in two holes 35 and 33 which or steel, and which is mounted on the chassis, extend respectively from the front and rear ends lnot shown of the car to which the brake mechaof the support I tothe hole 'l and slot I3.

nism is to be applied. A horizontal lever 3l is pivoted by a vertical On the middle portion of the support I, extendpin 38 to the front end of the support i, and 3,5 ing forwardly from the rear edge thereof is a bears at one side of the pin 38 on the front end cylindrical hole 2 in which is mounted a cylinof the member I'I. To the lever 31 at the other drical bearing 3. side of the pin 38 is pivoted the rear end of a The bearing 3 has an axial slot 4 extending brake rod 39, shown broken away, which extends 40 rearwardly from its front end and disposed horiforwardly and connects in the usual manner to 4Q zontally. The rear end of the hole 2 is threaded the usual pedal or hand lever, not shown, used and has iitted removably in it a screw plug 5 in setting the brakes. When the rod 39 is pulled which holds the bearing 3 in operative position. forwardly to set the brakes, it swings the lever 3l Similar holes 6 and 'I exten-d horizontally inso as to force rearwardly the member I7, thereby wardly in the support I from opposite edges forcing rearwardly the master wedge i9. 45 thereof, and have respectively mounted in them, The outer ends of the members 23, 29, 33 and cylindrical bearings 8 and 9, which are held in 34 respectively bear against four levers lill, lll, ci! the support respectively by screw plugs l0 and II. and 43, respectively pivoted in corner recesses The bearings 8 and 9, like the bearing 3, have 44, 45, 4B and 4'! in the support I, by vertical respectively extending from their inner ends slots pins 48, 49. 50 and 5|- The levers 40, 4I, 32 and 50 I2 and I3. 43 are respectively provided with arms 52, 53, 54

The inner ends of the holes 6 and 1 are reand 55. t spectively connected with the hole 2 with hori- The levers 40, 4I, 42 and 43 have respectively zontal alined holes I4 and I5 which also aline pivoted to them brake connecting means comwith the slots 4, I2 and I3. Extending from the prising four rods 56, 51, 58 and 59, which consti- 55 tute connecting means for respectively setting, in the usual manner, the four brakes of car. The rods are partly broken away, and the brakes of usual type are not shown.

Connecting the arms 52 and 54 is'Y a rodn which includes a coil spring 6|, the tension of the spring normally swinging thejarms 52Y and 54 Vso as to cause the levers 40 and 42 to retract inwardly from the outward braking position the members 281and 33. Y f2 Connecting the arms 53 and 55 is a rod ,'62 which includes a coil spring 63, the; tensonlof which normally swings the'arms 53 and 55Y to cause the levers 4I Yand 43 Vto retract inwardly the members 29 34.

When the brake pedal rod 39 is operated to set the brakes, the lever 31 through the member l1 will force rearwardly the master wedge I9, thus'forcing outwardly the members 2l :and 22, which in turn outwardly force the auxi wedges 25 and 26 to the braking position. The wedges 25 and 26 in turn Vwill force outwardly respectivelyV the two pairs pf slidable members 28429 and "i3- 1MLtherebyY swinging the levers 46, 4I, 42 and 43 to the braking, shown in dotted lines in Fig. l and setting the brakes through the rods 56,51, 58 and 59.

The rods 56 and 58 connect with the left and right frontbrakes, and the rods 51 and 5gg-,connect with the rear brakes.

s the wedges I9, 25 and 26 are Vlaterallyrslidable in the Vslots 4, l2 and i3, as well as inwardly and outwardly movable, they are movable laterally with the members which they force apart. By reason of this,Y construction, no one of the brakes will be setYY until all are set, and each brake willghave applied to it the same braking pressure. YThe members 2l and 22, wedges 25 ari-'d 26, members 28, 29, 33 and 34, and thelevers 46, 4l, 42and 43 thus form equalizing means between the wedge I9 and the confnecting means constituting the rods 56, 58 and 59 by which the latter apply the four brakes with equal pressure in the braking operation.

When the manually controlled means, as the brake pedal, the brake lever or -other instrumentality for setting the brakes is released, the springs 6l and 63, through the rods 66 and 62, will, as has been explained herembeforei operate to retract the moving parts :to their initial non-braking positions. 'i'

, Variousmodifications of my invention, within the scope of the appended claims, may benmade,

without departingr from the spirit of my invention. What; claim ist- 1. In a'brake mechanism havingtwo brakes for two wheels and having two connecting means for aieaeve respectivelyl setting said brakes, the combination with said connecting means, of two members movable toward and,V from each other, a master wedge moti-able with said members and engaging and, when moved to the braking position, moving' saidV members from each other, means for moving said master wedge toV the braking position, two auxiliary wedges respectitfely engaged by Yand movable to the braking position when said members are moved from each other, and means actuated by Vsaid auxiliary wedges when moved to the braking position for moving said connecting means respectively t the braking position.

Y2. In abrake mechanism having four brakes for four fwheels and having four connecting means for respectively setting said brakes, the

combination with said connecting means, of

three pairs of members, the members of each pair being movable from each othrerto a braking position, means actuated by one pair of said members, when moved to the braking position for respectively moving two of said connecting means to the braking position, means actuated by another of VYsaid pairs, when moved to the braking spectively engaging and movable with the mem-Yy bers of the other two pairs and, when moved to,Y

the braking position moving the members so engaged to the braking position, and means for moving said master wedge to the braking position.

3. In a brake mechanism having two brakes and two connectingv means for respectively setting said brakes', the combination with said connecting meansof two slidable members movable from each other to a braking position, means actuated by said members when so moved 'for moving said connecting means to the'Y brakingY position, a longitudinally slidable wedge operating member movable tor the braking position, means for so moving said operating member, and a wedge engaged by and movable in one direction by saidroperating member when the latter moves to the' braking position andV slidable against said operating member transversely to said direction and being intermediate of and engaging slidably said two slidable members, and, when moved to the braking position forcing said two slidable members to the braking position.

ALyIN B. BRUCE. Y 

